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Utopia Talk / Politics / US capitalism: Phama edition
murder
Member
Thu Oct 14 15:11:41
Molnupiravir (antiviral) was developed by researchers at Emory University with an estimated $35 million in federal funds, including grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Defense Department. The drug was in the works for years before the pandemic. Pharmaceutical company Ridgeback Biotherapeutics bought the rights to the drug in early 2020 and partnered with Merck a few months later.

Merck is not only selling molnupiravir to the US government at a 46-fold markup; it's selling a drug the US government has already spent millions to develop.

Read the rest here if you want to ...

http://ars...ed-for-700-price-a-46x-markup/
Habebe
Member
Thu Oct 14 16:09:02
And yet people dont want medicare for all because that* would be the step too far to socialism as if the US healthcare market is any resemblance of a free fair competitive sector of the economy.
Rugian
Member
Thu Oct 14 16:29:49
"That "46-fold mark-up" claim assumes zero acquisition or R&D costs.

Trash article.
murder
Member
Thu Oct 14 16:37:37

Taxpayers paid for the R&D. lol :o)

Rugian
Member
Thu Oct 14 16:48:31
Taxpayers paid for PART of the R&D.

I can't find what the development costs have been so far, but I'm guessing it wasn't just $35 million.
Rugian
Member
Thu Oct 14 16:51:01
But I am glad that Big Pharma is apparently the bad guy again. Those evil corporations are just trying to push their drugs on us, man!
murder
Member
Thu Oct 14 18:07:07

Do you have any reason to believe that they did any additional R&D in the past year since they purchased the drug?

Sam Adams
Member
Fri Oct 15 09:54:43
They obviously did more funding to get this through the regulatory process.

But they are likely bilking the taxpayer for excess markup as well. From Lockheed down throw the lowliest leftist diversity consultant, everyone bilks the taxpayer. Thats part of the reason government sucks so much.
Seb
Member
Fri Oct 15 12:48:10
If the state were rewarded like an angel investor would be for investing at the same point in the lifecycle, they would have the bulk of the equity in these products.
Habebe
Member
Fri Oct 15 18:41:18
US health care model sucks, no argument there.

My argument is pharmaceuticals is a unique industry that is like shooting fish in the barrel. I cant order pharamacuticals on Amazon. You can only get them from 1 or a few companies who get legal monopolistic powers, so. Its not a free market fundamentally.

So I dont see why government single payer or bargaining is worse than that?

I get the argument for HC savings accounts but in such a ologopolistic system you would still need government bargaining unless you fundamentally remake the system which seems politically unfeasible, so why not split the. Difference nd gomfor the lesser of two evils?
Habebe
Member
Fri Oct 15 18:42:46
Ok, so yes, pill pack, I CAN order drugs from Amazon, but you get my point.
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